Car Removals to Ghana: Duty, Papers and Right-Hand Drive
Sending a UK car to Ghana? The customs authority refuses right-hand-drive cars in the ordinary way and sets duty by engine size and age. This page sets out what is published and what is not yet confirmed.
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
Can a UK car be shipped to Ghana?
Only if it is not right-hand drive, in the ordinary way, and that rules out most British cars. The Ghana Revenue Authority’s vehicle page is blunt: “Per Customs laws, right-hand steering vehicles are not allowed into the country”.
The page then describes what happens at the quay: “Customs ensures Right-hand steering vehicles are dismantled, awaiting subsequent Left-hand refit before they can fully ply our roads.” So a right-hand-drive car that is let in at all arrives in pieces and waits for conversion before it can be driven.
There is one route round the rule. The page says “there is a policy dispensation allowing for some consideration upon importer application, a right only the Minister of Trade reserves.” That is the Trade Minister’s decision, not a customs officer’s, and the page gives no test, form or timescale. Treat it as not yet confirmed, and get an answer in writing before a car is booked onto a ship.
A left-hand-drive car, such as one bought on the continent, is not caught by that rule, so the duty and papers below apply. Removal relief is no way round either: the authority’s removal articles page excludes motor vehicles.
How is duty on a car in Ghana worked out?
Duty is not a flat percentage of what you paid. The authority starts from the maker’s price: “The first purchase price, which is the manufacturer’s price at the time the car was manufactured is needed for Vehicle Duty Calculation.” Age then reduces it: “It attracts a 0-50% depreciation based on the age of the vehicle”, after which the value comes down to Free On Board, the current exchange rate is applied, and freight and insurance are added. Then, in the authority’s words, “Import duty is based on the CIF Value”.
The rate depends on engine size. In the authority’s table the duty column reads as follows for cars.
- Diesel up to 1500 cc: 5% duty
- Diesel over 1500 cc and up to 2500 cc: 10% duty
- Diesel over 2500 cc: 20% duty
- Petrol up to 1000 cc: 5% duty
- Petrol over 1000 cc and up to 3000 cc: 10% duty
- Petrol over 3000 cc: 20% duty
Duty is only part of the bill. The same table has columns for VAT, NHIL, GETFund, AU, ECOWAS and EXIM levies, an examination fee and a special import levy. It says “Examination fee is on the CIF Value and levied only on used vehicles”. And it carries a further line: “Overage penalty is based on CIF Value”. The page gives neither the rate of that penalty nor the age at which it starts, so an older car’s bill is not yet confirmed.
To get a figure, the authority says “The duty likely to be paid on an imported vehicle can be checked in ICUMS”, using the chassis number or VIN, the make, the model and the year. Its menu also lists a Used Vehicle Duty Calculator.
What papers and charges does a car carry?
The documents the authority names for clearing a vehicle are the bill of lading or waybill, and the title. Once the consignee has both, the page says “they can pay duty before it arrives at the port”. Paying early is allowed, not required.
Nobody can expect relief as a private owner. The page says: “No one is exempted from payment of duties except the President, state institutions and diplomatic missions.”
Clearing the car yourself is possible but not simple: “It is possible to clear a vehicle at the port without the assistance of an agent.” The page adds that the condition is that “one needs to register with the Customs Division of GRA as a Clearing Agent”, which means putting in the request, in writing or electronically, to the Commissioner-General. Most owners use an agent, and the agent’s fee is one of the charges listed.
The page lists these third-party charges on top of duty, without giving amounts for any of them:
- local shipping line charges paid to the carrier
- terminal handling charges
- optional safe-bond terminal handling, which pays for “rent for the car whilst it is in the terminal”
- a trade number plate
- the clearing agent’s charges
Where does the car go once it reaches Tema?
The port authority’s terminal page names the place that deals with cars shipped in boxes: the Golden Jubilee Terminal is “The terminal responsible for receiving and delivering vehicles imported in containers”. It adds that the terminal “comprises a container freight station (CFS), a state warehouse, car park and an open area for un-stuffing and storage of containers”.
That is the only vehicle-specific terminal fact in the sources read. They do not say whether cars can arrive on a roll-on roll-off ship, what the terminal charges, or how many days a car may stay before the rent in the previous section starts to run. Ask for these in writing, with the sailing date.
What is not yet confirmed about a car?
Four things were not found. The age at which the overage penalty applies, and its rate. How the Trade Minister decides on a right-hand-drive car, and how long it takes. Whether a foreign national with a residence permit is treated differently from any other importer. And any sailing from a British port. Ask your partner company and the Ghana High Commission in the UK for each of these.
For the general steps on the British side, the shipping a car when moving abroad guide and the UK customs documentation checklist apply to every destination. The Ghana guide covers entry, household goods and the ports.
Quick answers about shipping a car to Ghana
Can I ship my right-hand-drive car to Ghana?
Not in the ordinary way.
The revenue authority says right-hand steering vehicles are not allowed in, apart from a dispensation that only the Minister of Trade can give on application.
How much duty will a car pay?
It depends on engine size, age and value.
The published duty column runs from 5% to 20% by engine band, with VAT, levies, an examination fee and an overage penalty on top. No overage rate was published.
Can I pay the duty before the car arrives?
Yes.
Once the consignee holds the title and bill of lading, the authority says duty can be paid before the car reaches the port.
Where do cars shipped in a container go at Tema?
The port authority names the Golden Jubilee Terminal as the terminal that receives and delivers vehicles imported in containers.
Describe the car you want to ship
Tell us the make, model, year, engine size and fuel, which side the steering wheel is on, and where in the UK it starts. A partner company reads it and comes back with its own questions before any price.
About International Removals Companies
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